Minerva's Tale
by HarryPotterFanatic03
Summary: Ever wondered about Minerva McGonagall. A story depicting the life of one Minerva McGonagall and her time at Hogwarts/
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

As Minerva walked through the barrier onto the over-populated platform 9 and 3/4s, she felt an overwhelming feeling of joy. She loosened her grip on her mother's hand and walked towards the gleaming scarlet red train. The Hogwarts crest was staring down at her. It was divided into quarters, each filled up with the four house colours. She looked up into the eyes of the Slytherin serpent. She loathed Slytherin and secretly wished that she was not placed in Slytherin. Her mother was placed in Gryffindor during her time in Hogwarts and Minerva hoped she would follow in her footsteps. Minerva looked up at the Gryffindor lion and whispered to herself, "Please, please, please." Then she felt her mother's grip around her wrist and was lead into the crowd of Hogwarts students.

Her mother stopped in front of one of the last carriages, turned and faced her. Minerva looked down at her shoes, realising that during her walk there they had been scuffed. Her mother placed her finger under her chin and lifted her it so that Minerva was forced to look into her eyes. "Minerva, sweetheart," her mother said her soft, warm voice, "I know you're disappointed your father couldn't be her to see you off but you know how he would feel about this. He just doesn't understand. He never-'

Isobel was cut off by the sound of someone calling her name. "Isobel!" yelled a deep, husky voice from behind Minerva. Isobel dropped her hand and looked over Minerva's head. Minerva quickly spun around to see her had been calling her mother.

"Caspar?" Isobel responded. She rushed past her daughter, her long, straight, blonde hair flowing behind. She kissed both cheeks of a tall, thin man with a thin moustache whose hair swept to the right side of his face and seem, at least to Minerva, not to move an inch. No matter how much wind was blown on it from the meadows that surrounded platform 9 3/4s or the steam that putted out of the chimneys of the Hogwarts Express seemed to be able to move this man's hair. Minerva approached them cautiously eventually meeting them and hiding behind her mother, peering around her arm.

Isobel put her arm around Minerva and pushed her forward revealing her petite body, her frizzy, brown hair falling just below her shoulders. She had inherited her father's hair. No matter how much she brushed it, it stayed frizzy. Her two younger brothers had always teased her about. They both had perfectly blonde hair that seemed to follow their exact orders.

"This is my daughter, Minerva," Isobel said, introducing her to Casper, "Minerva, this is Caspar. He's an old friend of mine from Hogwarts. And this is his son Barty." She gestured towards a boy who was standing next to Caspar. He looked quite similar to Caspar but without a moustache and seemed to have more joy in his eyes. "It is Barty's first year as well Minerva," Isobel explained. Minerva gave a glance to Barty, who seemed to smile at her, then looked up at her mother, grabbed her arm, and tugged her away.

"Great to see you again Caspar," Isobel shouted towards him as she craned her neck to see him, "We must catch up! Send me an owl when you have the time!" Minerva stopped them as they made it to her trunk and cat which had been placed in a cage on top of her bags. "I'm sorry darling. I haven't seen him in years. Now have you got everything you need?" Minerva nodded in response. "You have all of your school book?" Yet again, Minerva nodded. "What about that retched cat of yours?"

"Yes mother!" Minerva finally said from sheer frustration. Her voice was warm, like her mothers, and quite mature for her age. It was the voice you would expect from someone 4 years her senior.

The Hogwarts Express whistle blew which signalled that Minerva had to board the train. Her mother grabbed her in her arms and held her tight. She pulled away, kissed her on the forehead and led her towards the train. Isobel handed Minerva her trunk first, then her cat and backed away. The door slammed shut in front of Minerva. She stuck her heard out of the window and waved at her mother who was slowing fading out of sight, becoming smaller and smaller the further away they got from the station. Finally when she was out of view, she turned around, grabbed her trunk and cat and walked into the corridor of the train in search for a cabin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Minerva lugged her trunk through the corridor of the Hogwarts Express looking for a free compartment. As she passed by, she saw many groups of students. One compartment was full of prefects showing off their new, shiny badges to each other, boasting about what they would do as their first act as prefect. A few more down, she saw a student transform a rat into a tea cup and then back again. Minerva had always been fascinated by transfiguration. As a child, she would plead her mother to transform her pet cat into hats and cups and even once a broom!

Minerva looked down at her tabby cat. She had always loved cats, ever since she was a little girl. As a young girl, she would go out and chase cats. Her father, Robert, would watch her as she did so. He saw how much she loved them that one day she came home from playing with some of her friends and her father asked her to come into his study. "Minerva I have a surprise for you," he bellowed, he voice was low and cold unlike her mothers. He sat her down and then pulled from under his desk, a small, tabby kitten. It had eyes that took up half its face. Robert placed the cat down on Minerva's lap, smoothed down the top of her head and kissed it. He then sat behind his desk, put his glasses on and started looking through some papers. Minerva sat stroking the cat's head, to which it seemed to like. Her father looked over the rim of his glasses and said dully, "you may leave now Minerva."

Minerva looked down at the same cat that was lying down in her cage now, seemingly taking a nap. The train jolted and the cat shot up, observing her surroundings. She kept walking. Finally, she found a compartment that was not full but when she looked inside, it was Barty. He was seated next to a young boy with dirty blond hair and large brown eyes. Across from them was a girl whose brown hair was tucked behind her ears with a few strands falling in front of her sparkling blue eyes.

"Barty?" Minerva asked. He looked up, straight into her green eyes. "Would you mind if I sat with you all?"

"Of course not!" Barty responded. "Come in and sit!" He gestured towards the space next to the brown-haired girl. "This is Alastor" he said gesturing to the boy seated next to him.

"Please call me Moody. Everyone does," Alastor added quickly.

"And this is Augusta," Barty said, gesturing towards the girl Minerva had been seated next to. The girl looked at her and gave her a wide smile, showing all of her pearly white teeth. After that, they sat in silence. Minerva looked out the window at the meadows that were rushing past them. She was so lost in the view that she jumped when someone knocked on the compartment door, almost hitting Augusta in the face. It was an old woman in a striped red and white apron wearing full white underneath. Her grey hair was pulled back in a braid.

"Would you like anything from the trolley?" she asked in a croaky voice. Minerva looked behind the women and there was a cart filled with every type of magical sweet you could imagine. There was Coconut Ice, Ice Mice (they make your teeth chatter and squeak), Fizzing Whizbees, Pepper Imps, Sugar Quills, Exploding Bonbons and many more. Though Minerva had always known she was a witch, she was not allowed any of these sweets in the house but sometimes, when her mother had gone to Diagon Alley to pick up supplies, she would bring back sweets for Minerva and she would hide them under her pillow so her father would never know.

They all sat, nibbling at their newly bought sweets. Moody looked at Minerva. "Are you pure-blood?" he asked, ending the silence. Minerva gave him a puzzling look. "A pure blood," he explained, "Is someone whose parents are a witch and a wizard and their parents are the same."

"No," Minerva responded, "My mother is a witch; my father is a minister in a church. What about all of you?"

"We're all pure bloods," Augusta said. It was the first time Minerva had heard her speak. Her voice was quite young sounding and very high. She sounded quite nervous, as though Minerva was some sort of predator.

Barty looked down at his watch and then stood, stumbling a little on the bumpy train. "We should get changed," he mumbled as he reached up for his trunk which was tucked under his seat, as was everyone else's.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Minerva stepped onto the busy Hogsmeade Station. She held her cat in her arms, squeezing her tight. Behind her followed Augusta and Barty. She studied the faces behind them, but there was no sign of Moody. She wanted to keep looking for him, but she was being pushed forward.

"First years this way!" shouted a booming voice form ahead. Minerva pushed herself forward, searching a body to match the voice. Craning her neck up, she studied the faces of the students around her. Finally pulling herself out of the crowd, Minerva saw who it was that had called her forward. The man she saw was 4 feet tall, coming up to her shoulders. His hair was neatly cut short. He wore a grey cloak overtop a muddy shirt and trousers. She looked down at him. His small, brown eyes were focused on a wand that was tightly held in his hand. "This way first years!" he shouted and led Minerva and the other first years away from the crowd and down a shady path.

Minerva followed at the front, looking around at all the first years. She's never seen so many wizards in one place. In fact, today happened to be the first day she had even met a wizard that was her age (the only other wizards she knew were her mother and two younger brothers). Even one seemed to have bunched themselves in groups, mainly divided on gender lines. As they walked, Minerva focused her eyes ahead. She was dying to see the castle. Her mother had told her so many stories of her time at Hogwarts, about the many subjects and teachers and even the welcoming feast they held at the beginning of every year. Her mother would stay up late telling her about what type of food would be served and about the candles that floated in mid air as they ate. Her mother would talk and talk until they heard a noise from downstairs, then Minerva's mother would rush up the stairs into her bedroom while Minerva would pretend to be asleep in case her father would walk in to kiss her goodnight.

The path soon widened up onto a dock which was filled with boats, each lit by a candle that was perched atop a long pole. Minerva piled the first boat with Augusta, Moony and Barty. She sat, starring at the fully lit Hogwarts Castle, until every boat had been filled then felt it jerk forward and start to make its way across the Black Lake. Unlike Muggle boats, these boats were powered by magic and had no use for paddles.

Moony soon pulled out his wand, explaining it to them all. "It's an 11 inch, Beech wood. The core is unicorn hair, unyielding. Isn't it fascinating? These inches of wood hold all our power. What is yours Minerva?"

"Fir wood. 9 ½ inches. Dragon heartstring. Stiff," she answered coldly. She was still transfixed on the castle, imagining what house she would be sorted into. Praying she would not get into Slytherin. They were known for being mean people, Minerva just wouldn't fit in. Her preferred house, of course, was Gryffindor, following in her mother's footsteps. People in Gryffindor were brave and good. She pulled her mind away from houses and back to the conversation happening inside the boat (which had now changed to the boat itself) but still in the back of her mind, she could not stop thinking of the Sorting Ceremony.


	4. Chapter 4

Minerva made her way up the large, marble staircase towards the great hall. Standing in front of the closed entrance was a man with grey hair that fell to his shoulders. He had a beard that clung to his face that fell to just beneath his chin. He wore blue robes and held a white wand in his hand. Whilst all the students piled in, he remained silent. Once he finally spoke, he did so with a huge smile that filled up his face and eyes that were filled with joy; his voice was musky and warm, "Welcome students to your first year at Hogwarts. My name is Professor Albus Dumbledore and I am the head of Gryffindor house. Now you will all enter the great hall and proceed down to the end of the large tables. There, you will be sorted into your houses by the sorting hat. I will call out your name, you will sit on the stool and I will place the hat on your head. Do you all understand?" There was a slight murmur signifying that they did. "Right! Then follow me!"

The tall doors opened for him and the students were lead into the Great Hall. It was everything Isobel had told Minerva and more. The candles were there, the rows of smiling students each wearing a pointed hat. She craned her neck up to see the ceiling which had been enchanted to look like night sky. There were four sets of long tables, each for the different houses. At the end of the hall was another long table where all the teachers of the school were situated. In the middle sat a pale man with a thick grey beard who seemed to be balding. He was looking at them all, smiling as he did so.

In front of the teachers sat a stool. On top of the stool was an old tattered hat. The way it was folded, it almost looked as though it had a face. Professor Dumbledore stood next the brown hat and reached into his robes. He pulled out a piece of parchment from which he started reading off their names. "Moody, Alastor," his loud voice filling up the entire room. Alastor ran forward and sat on the stool, his feet just touching the floor. Dumbledore placed the hat atop his head and it spoke out in a booming, devilish voice.

"Hmmm, brave and loyal. Must be GRYFFINDOR!" A loud applause erupted from the table to Minerva's right. Moody ran down and sat himself at the closest free seat, introducing himself to his fellow housemates.

"Malfoy, Abraxas," the professor said. A young boy with platinum blonde hair came up and sat on the stool. The whole trip there he had worn a devilish grin. He seemed to be studying the faces around him, stopping for a second once reaching McGonagall, his piercing blues eyes looking straight at her. Dumbledore placed the hat on his head and the Hat instantly placed him in Slytherin, it had not even been on his head for a second.

Minerva sat there waiting for her turn. "Longbottom, Augusta" went and was put into Gryffindor whereas "Crouch, Barty" was put into Ravenclaw, much to his demise. Finally she heard Dumbledore call her name. "McGonagall, Minerva." She slowly walked forward, turned and sat on the stool. Dumbledore placed the hat on her head, the tattered straps falling all the way to her legs.

"Very interesting," the hat said. "Very interesting. This one is brave and loyal but smart and logical. Decisions, decisions. Ravenclaw or Gryffindor..."

"Yes," Minerva muttered under her breath. The whole room was silent for five and a half minutes, Minerva had counted. She looked up at Professor Dumbledore who had been standing next to her the whole time. He gave her a warm smile then looked up at the pale man sitting in the middle of the teachers. Once the sorting hat finally spoke, Minerva heard the answer she had been hoping for all along

"Gryffindor!" the Sorting Hat boomed. Dumbledore reached down and removed the hat from her head. Minerva shot up and ran down to a seat that had been saved to her by Augusta, sitting across from Moody. She peered over Moody's head to Barty who was sandwiched between a first year and what looked like a sixth year, his head hanging low. She focused herself back to her table where she was getting a roar of congratulations from fellow Gryffindor students. Once that had finished, she sat waiting for the feast to start.

After watching what seemed like thousands of students but must have only been a handful of students being sorted into the various houses, the man sitting in the centre of the teachers table rose. He spoke out to the students in an elderly, high pitch voice, "For those of you, who do not know me, my name is Professor Dippet and I am the Head Master here. I do not wish to dilly dally on speeches but I do wish that you all have a fantastic year. A few announcements, Professor Slughorn would like me to remind you students whom it may concern that the Slug Club will be accepting first years this year. Professor Bray also would like me to tell you all to steer clear of any unknown plants since she seems to be having some problem taming some of those Paralyzing Ivy's of hers. May the feast commence." And with those final words he lifted his hands and food appeared on the table.

Minerva mouth started watering. Everything she could wish for was on the table. She scanned through the food. There was mashed potato, roast chicken, onion soup, fried chicken. Everything she was already missing from the human world. She looked over to pot which was just far enough that she was unable to see what filled it. "What's that?" she asked a ginger haired boy who sat next Alastor. He looked up at her, his mouth filled with beef stew. He looked at the pot and then back at her, swallowed his food and spoke out with a smile.

"Frogs legs," he responded with a mischievous voice. "They're delicious. Would you like to try some?"

Minerva looked at the pot and then back to the red-haired young man. She nodded and held out her plate for him to dump the frog legs on. He poured them on her play then smiled back at her.

"My name is Septimus Weasley by the way. I'm in my third year." He stated, holding out his hand. Minerva grabbed his hand and shook it.

"Minerva McGonnall. Pleasure to meet you." Minerva looked down at her frog legs yet again. She nervously stabbed her fork into one of them, held it up to her eye level and warily looked at it. "Are they safe?"

"Don't worry, I'm 50% sure they're dead. " Minerva looked up at Septimus, disgust on her face.

"50%?" she whispered, staring cross-eyed at the frog legs.

"Yes. Just watch because sometimes they jump." At that precise moment, Septimus hit the table and the frog legs shot into the air and then landed back on her plate. Septimus and a previously silent Alastor burst out laughing, tears dripping down their faces. Minerva heard a small giggle from next to her and saw Augusta with her hands in her face laughing as well. Minerva glared down at her frog legs, took at bit of one and, finding she liked them, carried on eating. She spent the rest of the night chatting with her fellow Gryffindor students.

**A/N: Thinking of doing a 2 or 3 year jump. What do you think?**


End file.
